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West Notes: Eichel, Davidson, Quick

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Golden Knights center Jack Eichel is progressing well in his recovery from artificial disk replacement surgery and has started skating.  Accordingly, the clock is starting to tick on how Vegas will be able to get cap compliant to activate him off LTIR.  Speaking with David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, GM Kelly McCrimmon wasn’t giving away any hints towards how he plans to get there:

We’ve been compliant every game we’ve ever played, and we’ll continue to be as we move forward. What exactly that looks like, how exactly we get there, those are all things that we work at internally, and we’ll keep it that way.

McCrimmon also cautioned that Eichel will be further away from returning than it may seem at first glance as resuming on-ice activities is one thing but being able to do while taking full contact is another one altogether.  Even so, it sure seems like the Golden Knights will get Eichel back well before the end of the season which means their cap crunch is starting to get closer.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Kyle Davidson has only been the interim GM of the Blackhawks for two months but Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times feels that the 33-year-old has shown enough to take the job on a full-time basis. Davidson has already made one significant change with the dismissal of Jeremy Colliton behind the bench plus a handful of smaller moves but he has had his hands in other parts of this team having been with Chicago since 2011.  Even with that longer-term connection, Pope believes that Davidson should be able to evaluate things without any pre-existing biases which would be critical if he retains the role but that the team would be wise to bring in a president of hockey operations to oversee things and provide some experience in the front office.
  • This was supposed to be the season where Cal Petersen took over as the starter for the Kings. However, as Andrew Knoll of the LA Daily News highlights, that hasn’t exactly happened with Jonathan Quick playing like he did a decade ago.  While that transition is still expected to happen at some point – Quick turns 36 next month and only has one year left on his contract after this one – Petersen will have to wait a little longer to become their undisputed starter.

Jonathan Quick To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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After another disappointing season, both personally and for his team, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick is wasting no time with getting a start on his preparation for next year. According to The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman, Quick is scheduled for shoulder surgery on Wednesday. GM Rob Blake states that Quick will be ready for training camp and the start of the regular season.

Ironically, Quick’s shoulder is a separate ailment from the one that kept him out the final weeks of the Kings’ season. Quick suffered a rib injury on May 3 and this is the issue that prevented him from returning to action at the end of the year. Instead, Blake notes that the shoulder surgery is to fix “wear and tear over the years.” This is potentially good news for Kings fans, as Quick’s underwhelming performance has spanned the past three years, not just 2020-21. Correctly a lingering injury as opposed to a recent issue is more of a proactive move to improve rather than a reactive move merely to keep playing. Perhaps a refreshed shoulder could lead to return to form for the 35-year-old, a multi-time Jennings Trophy winner, All-Star, and Stanley Cup-winning starter.

Interestingly, especially given that Quick receiving fewer starts than Calvin Petersen even before his late-season injury, the veteran was recently named by franchise icon Drew Doughty as still being part of L.A.’s aging “core”, who Doughty believes deserve to be surrounded by superior talent. Quick may have had a better record than Petersen this season at 11-9-2 and even had a slightly better goals against average, but the younger member of the tandem had a substantially better save percentage and simply passed the eye test more often. While to the outside observer it may seem like Quick’s play over the past few years and Petersen’s presence no longer make him a key player for the Kings, there at least seems to be some internal belief that the long-time netminder is still a top option in net and a key member of the roster. A healthy Quick to begin the 2021-22 campaign could be on a mission to prove his teammates right and to return himself and his team to relevance.

Nominees Announced For 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2019.

Past winners of the award include Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014) and Josh Harding (2013).

Below are the nominees from each team:

Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Miller

Arizona Coyotes – Conor Garland

Boston Bruins – Kevan Miller

Buffalo Sabres – Curtis Lazar

Calgary Flames – Mark Giordano

Carolina Hurricanes – James Reimer

Chicago Blackhawks – Corey Crawford

Colorado Avalanche – Ryan Graves

Columbus Blue Jackets – Nathan Gerbe

Dallas Stars – Stephen Johns

Detroit Red Wings – Robby Fabbri

Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid

Florida Panthers – Noel Acciari

Los Angeles Kings – Jonathan Quick

Minnesota Wild – Alex Stalock

Montreal Canadiens – Shea Weber

Nashville Predators – Jarred Tinordi

New Jersey Devils – Travis Zajac

New York Islanders – Thomas Hickey

New York Rangers – Henrik Lundqvist

Ottawa Senators – Bobby Ryan

Philadelphia Flyers – Oskar Lindblom

Pittsburgh Penguins – Evgeni Malkin

San Jose Sharks – Joe Thornton

St. Louis Blues – Jay Bouwmeester

Toronto Maple Leafs – Zach Hyman

Vancouver Canucks – Jacob Markstrom

Vegas Golden Knights – Shea Theodore

Washington Capitals – Michal Kempny

Winnipeg Jets – Mark Letestu

Three finalists and the winner will be named at a later date.

Potential Compliance Buyout Candidates: Part II

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As the current Coronavirus crisis wears on, it seems more and more likely that the NHL will not return to action soon and when play resumes, it will almost certainly not be the full remaining regular season schedule. That lost revenue is expected to impact the 2020-21 salary cap, perhaps even keeping the current $81.5MM upper limit in place. Given that teams expected an increase, initially projected to be between $84-88.2MM, this stagnation could have a harsh impact on a number of clubs’ cap situations. As such, many expect that compliance buyouts will return in some form or fashion to ease that pain. These buyouts, which do not count against the salary cap, would allow for teams to open up space that they otherwise expected from a cap increase.

After taking a look at the first ten teams, we move on to the middle third of the NHL:

Detroit Red Wings: Justin Abdelkader

– When Abdelkader signed a seven-year extension with an AAV of $4.25MM following his career-best season in 2014-15, it was perceived to be a bargain at the time and few expected that it would turn out poorly. Yet, with three years still to go Abdelkader has failed to impress in each of the first four seasons, recording a total of just 78 points and consistently missing time due to injury. On a young rebuilding team, the 33-year-old forward’s slow, plodding game is not a fit and his salary is not commensurate to his role on the club. New GM Steve Yzerman wouldn’t hesitate to buy out the career Red Wing if given the opportunity.

Edmonton Oilers: James Neal

– Last summer’s swap of Neal for Milan Lucic was labeled as two teams exchanging bad contracts. However, Neal got off to a hot start and ended up with 19 goals and 31 points despite being limited to just 55 games due to injury. That being said, the 32-year-old forward, who was a -20 this season, is still probably the worst contract on the team. The likelihood of Neal playing up to his remaining $17.25MM over three years seems slim and the Oilers could use the cap space to add a younger, better winger. If Neal has earned the trust of the team, Kris Russell could be bought out before his final year at $4MM.

Florida Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky

– Would the Panthers move on from Bobrovsky just one year after handing him a seven-year, $70MM deal? That could be the biggest question of the off-season if compliance buyouts become reality. The star goalie’s first season in Florida could not have gone worse as he posted a career-worst GAA and didn’t boast a shiny save percentage either. Expected to be the Cats’ savior in net, Bobrovsky was anything but. If they hesitate to cut ties with Bobrovsky and his play does not improve, he would undoubtedly become the worst contract in hockey. Though on the other hand, if Bobrovsky goes elsewhere and succeeds and Florida cannot find a suitable location, some would surely say that they didn’t give him enough of a chance.

Los Angeles Kings: Jonathan Quick

– The rebuilding Kings have been trying to move Quick for a couple of years now and it would be a surprise if they did not take advantage of a compliance buyout opportunity. A holdover contract from the days of yore, Quick’s ten-year, $58MM deal signed in 2012 remained a bargain for the first half of the term until Quick hit a wall last year. While his play rebounded this season, Quick is still not playing up to the all-world level that had become the norm. L.A. is still a ways away from contending and can make more use of extra cap space over the next three years than a goalie who is past his prime.

Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise

– The Wild and new GM Bill Guerin came awfully close to trading Parise at the deadline this season and in recent years players who have been rumored to be leaving Minnesota are always eventually dealt. However, the potential trade included the team taking back bad salaries to facilitate the movement of Parise’s remaining five years and $37.69MM. Although Parise showed a return to form somewhat over the past two years, he has never been able to replicate his numbers from earlier in career and the team has generally been unhappy with the results of their 13-year gamble. If the possibility to dump the 35-year-old Parise without any cap repercussions opened up, it would become a serious conversation. More interesting would be if the Wild also discuss Mats Zuccarello as a buyout candidate after he was a bust in the first of a five-year, $30MM deal.

Montreal Canadiens: Karl Alzner

– While there will be those that find some of the bigger names on Montreal as intriguing buyout candidates, Alzner seems like an obvious choice that will improve the roster without any risk of releasing a good player or upsetting team chemistry. Few players in recent history have had their team turn on them following a major contract as quickly as the Canadiens did with Alzner. After signing the physical defenseman as a top free agent in 2017, the Habs decided just a year later that he was not worthy of an NHL roster spot following a difficult first season. Alzner has played just 13 NHL games over the past two years, buried in the AHL for the remainder. With two years at $4.625MM remaining, Montreal would be happy to be completely rid of Alzner’s contract rather than receiving just minor saving from sending him to the minors instead.

Nashville Predators: Kyle Turris

– For a long time, Nashville GM David Poile was opposed to handing out expensive, long-term contracts. That policy served him well for quite a time, as the Predators ended up with a number of tremendous values on the roster. Since the team has started to move away from that practice, things have not gone so well. Turris is the poster boy for this statement. He signed a six-year, $36MM extension with Nashville not long after being acquired by the club early in the 2017-18 season and has never lived up to the expectations. His 54 total points over the past two years is less than the one-year total the season prior to his joining Nashville. Turris has become an expendable player, not only missing time due to injury but also as a healthy scratch. The team has been eager to move him and they likely wouldn’t hesitate to do so with a compliance buyout.

New Jersey Devils: Cory Schneider

– An overpaid, under-performing starting goalie is one thing; an overpaid, under-performing backup is another. It has been quite a time since Schneider was the top man in net in New Jersey and young Mackenzie Blackwood has now taken the reins. However, Schneider’s horrific numbers over the past two year suggest that he isn’t even capable of being an NHL backup at this point in his career. With two years remaining at $6MM, Schneider’s might be the worst goalie contract in the league and a rather obvious buyout candidate.

New York Islanders: Andrew Ladd

– Ladd, part of the infamous 2016 class of terrible free agent contracts, Ladd has never provided adequate value to the Islanders compared to his $5.5MM AAV. The team finally buried him in the AHL this season after recording just 71 points through his first three years. With the majority of their forwards signed to substantial long-term deals, there is almost no chance that Ladd can ever work his way back into the NHL mix for the Islanders. New York was ready to move him at the trade deadline and would be quick to buyout the final three years of his deal rather than continue to pay major money for him to play in the minors.

New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist

– While it would be a sad day for the Blueshirts and their fans, the reality is that Lundqvist is the best use of a compliance buyout on the team. New York was considering moving young Alexandar Georgiev at the deadline rather than continue to carry three goaltenders, as Igor Shesterkin looks like the starter of the future and King Henrik has become an immovable contract. However, the team would be far better off retaining both young goalies and moving on from Lundqvist, who at 38 years old had the worst season of his career and still has a season remaining at $8.5MM. That’s a hefty salary to pay the man who would be your third-string goalie next season if Georgiev is not moved. The Rangers have no shortage of options though if they cannot overcome the loyalty they feel toward Lundqvist. Defensemen Marc Staal, $5.7MM AAV, and Brendan Smith, $4.35MM AAV, have both outworn their welcomes in New York and would not be missed in the final years of their respective contracts.

Stay tuned for Part III coming soon.

The Jonathan Quick Conundrum

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As was the case for many Los Angeles players, 2018-19 was a year to forget for goaltender Jonathan Quick.  The team struggled to score and some poor play from Quick and the defense meant that they had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net.  The end result was Quick posting career worsts in goals-against average (3.38) and save percentage (.888).  For comparison, his previous high in GAA was 2.54 (2009-10) while his lowest SV% was .902 (the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign).  To call his numbers a substantial drop off would be an understatement.

The 33-year-old is signed through 2022-23 with a $5.8MM AAV.  While it’s notable that his salary dips sharply after this season (he’ll receive $7MM this year and $9MM over the final three seasons combined), that cap hit is still significant.

Accordingly, Quick’s performance and contract made finding a viable trade all but impossible for GM Rob Blake to find over the summer.  Instead, he chose the longer and smarter play which was to hold off on a swap over the summer with the hopes that a new coach and a fresh start to the 2019-20 campaign would get him back on track.

The season is only a few weeks old but the early results haven’t been promising.  Through his first three starts, he has posted a 6.43 GAA with a .793 SV%.  It’s safe to infer that he’s not helping his trade value any with a performance like that, even with the legitimate qualifier of a small sample size.

On top of that, the Kings have a younger backup in Jack Campbell that is making a case for more playing time.  Considering that Los Angeles appears to be a team that’s slowly heading towards a rebuild, giving him more playing time makes sense.  Even if they don’t want to do that and see themselves as a playoff team, giving Campbell more playing time also makes sense based on how the two are playing.

In addition, with Cal Petersen signed for two more years after this one and having shown some promise in his limited action last season, it’s understandable to think that they’re going to want him back in the NHL at some point.  The fact that both 2020-21 and 2021-22 are one-way contracts further cements that.

But how do the Kings find a way to make that happen?  If a trade doesn’t present itself, a buyout is always an option but it’s far from an ideal one.   Doing so would yield a $3.3MM cap hit in 2020-21, $3.8MM in 2021-22, $4.3MM in 2022-23, and $1MM from 2023-24 through 2025-26.  The price tag is higher than the standard buyout cost due to the front-loaded nature of the contract.  Considering they already have Dion Phaneuf’s buyout on the books for three more years (including a cost of more than $4MM next season), it’s reasonable to think that this isn’t a route they’d like to take.

Instead, it appears as if they’ll have to continue to wait this out and hope that Quick turns things around once he gets an opportunity to get back in the lineup and build from there.  It is only three games into his season coming off a summer where not making a trade seemed like the prudent move so patience is still the right play here for now.  However, if Quick struggles over the next little while, the focus may have to shift towards simply trying to get out of the contract in which case the question becomes is taking another bad deal better than a buyout.  That would be quite the rapid fall from grace for a player that was a core performer just two years ago.  It’s not a route that they want to take but it looks a lot more realistic than it did just last season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Goalie Notes: Quick, Lehner, Rask

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The rumor mill is usually relatively quiet at this time of year, but the trade whispers surrounding Jonathan Quick that began last season simply haven’t gone away. Much of the discussion is likely internal or at least hypothetical, as there is no reason believe there is a solid market for Quick right now, especially given his start to the season. Through two starts, Quick is 0-2 and has allowed a shocking 14 goals on just 56 shots. His .750 save percentage, very bad in its own right, is more than 70 points lower than the next-worst save percentage, while his 7.17 GAA is one of only two in the league over 6.00 early on. When Quick is on his game, he has proven himself to be one of the top goaltenders in the NHL, but after a miserable 2018-19 campaign, he’s off to the wrong start if he wants to show that he can still be that guy. Quick’s early struggles have both local and national hockey pundits weighing in on his future. With backup Jack Campbell coming off a breakout campaign and signed affordably through 2022 and promising collegiate prospect Cal Petersen waiting in the wings, the rebuilding Kings would likely be open to moving Quick and his $5.8MM cap hit through 2023. The question is whether there is a team willing to gamble on Quick’s history and upside at the risk of his injury issues and performance problems. With a change of scenery or perhaps the right coaching staff, Quick’s salary could actually still be a bargain if he gets back to peak form, however unlikely it may seem to some. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators are the only obvious teams with both the need and cap capacity to add Quick, and neither is likely to pull the trigger on a trade this early in the season. The Kings are likely stuck with him for a while and need to start thinking of different ways to help improve the play of a long-time franchise leader and star.

  • Robin Lehner is set to make his first appearance as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, getting the start on Saturday, and the door is wide open for him to make far more starts moving forward. Through two games, incumbent Corey Crawford is 0-2 with an .875 save percentage and a 4.63 GAA that is third-worst among goalies with multiple starts. It’s a bad start for Crawford after missing considerable time due to injury in each of the past two seasons and performing poorly in the majority of looks he did get last year. Meanwhile, Lehner is a reigning Jennings Trophy winner and Vezina candidate after a dominant season with the New York Islanders. A strong start to his Blackhawks tenure could easily change the status quo of the tandem. Lehner isn’t just fighting for starts this season either; both he and Crawford are impending UFA’s at season’s end and a 28-year-old with a recent history of success is going to have a much better shot at a new long-term commitment than a 35-year-old with a recent history of injury and inconsistency. The first step toward Lehner potentially becoming the main man in net for Chicago for a long time begins tonight.
  • After the whistle blew on an intense match-up between the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Bruins starter Tuukka Rask limped off the ice with help from his teammates. There was little word from the team as to the extent of Rask’s injury, but he did dress as the backup for their game on Thursday night. Tonight, in what would normally be his regular turn in net, Rask appears ready to go. The long-time Bruin is expected to make the start and The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter relays from head coach Bruce Cassidy that there are no lingering issues from whatever did occur on Tuesday. Rask is 2-0 with just four goals allowed on 63 shots so far. He and backup Jaroslav Halak have both picked up right where they left off last season, as both are in the top ten in save percentage and goals against average early on.

Kings Sign Jack Campbell To Two-Year Extension

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The Los Angeles Kings will not have to spend any time this season worrying about their future goaltending depth. With starter Jonathan Quick signed through 2022-23 and promising prospect Cal Petersen locked up through 2021-22, the Kings have announced an extension with backup Jack Campbell as well. It is a two-year, $3.3MM deal for Campbell beginning after this coming season, keeping him under contract through 2021-22 as well at a discount cap hit of just $1.65MM.

One has to wonder if this contract came with a handshake agreement that Campbell would take over as the Kings starter during or immediately after the term of the deal. The 27-year-old Campbell was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and, while $1.65MM is a nice bump up from the $675K that he’ll receive in the final year of his current contract, it doesn’t seem to accurately reflect what his market value could have been. Campbell has been a revelation for L.A. since the team took a flier on him in a minor trade with the Dallas Stars in 2016. In 37 appearances with the club, Campbell has posted a stunning .928 save percentage and 2.30 GAA. 31 of those appearances (25 of which were starts) came last season alone and produced identical numbers, which also landed in the top five among NHL goalies with at least 25 appearances. It’s fair to argue that Campbell was the very best backup goaltender in the NHL in 2018-19. So why did he sign so early and for so little?

The rumors that the Kings are shopping Quick have persisted for several years now. The two-time Stanley Cup-winning keeper is one of the most decorated goalies in the NHL, but missed most of the 2016-17 season due to injury, prompting the initial rumors, and then followed up a Jennings Trophy-winning 2017-18 campaign with a career-worst performance last season, which also included more injury issues. Quick did not look like himself last year and some believe that L.A. will continue to try to move on from the veteran and the remainder of his hefty contract before things get worse. If they succeed, Campbell would take over as starter. It could be that the promise or at least the likelihood of this scenario unfolding may have led to this underwhelming deal for the current backup.

On the other hand, Campbell is obviously a late bloomer and putting up these numbers at age 27 makes him a less exciting name than a much younger backup in the situation. Campbell also lacks the sample size that some might like to see before calling him a starter-caliber goaltender. If he had a repeat performance of last season, he could have demanded much more on the open market. However, if his numbers had dropped off, he would have be overshadowed by a strong goalie market next off-season. Not only could starters like Braden Holtby, Robin Lehner, and Jacob Markstrom be available, but some of the league’s other top backups – Thomas Greiss, Darcy Kuemper, Jaroslav Halak, Anton Khudobin – and several veterans set to transition into backup roles – Jimmy Howard, Corey Crawford, Craig Anderson – could also hit the market. Despite the fact that he outplayed all of these netminders last season in his limited action, it could be that Campbell took the safe route and opted to stay in a situation that he was comfortable with. The worst case scenario for Campbell would be that he continues to play exceedingly well, but Quick also returns to form and he remains stuck as the backup. But even in that scenario, Campbell would still generate quite the trade market, especially at his inexpensive price tag.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Los Angeles Kings

Current Cap Hit: $72,759,394 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Nikolai Prokhorkin (one year, $925K)
F Blake Lizotte (two years, $925K)
F Carl Grundstrom (one year, $925K)
F Rasmus Kupari (three years, $894K)
F Gabriel Vilardi (three years, $894K)
D Kale Clague (two years, $762K)
F Austin Wagner (one year, $759K)
D Sean Walker (one year, $745K)

Potential Bonuses

Prokhorkin: $850K
Lizotte: $850K
Vilardi: $500K
Wagner: $133K
Clague: $133K

With the Kings rebuild in full swing, Los Angeles will be giving plenty of opportunities to their younger players to break out. The team finally was able to convince Prokhorkin to come over from the KHL this offseason. The fourth round pick from 2012 has scored 16 or more goals in four of the past six seasons, including career highs in goals (20) and points (41). The question is whether the 25-year-old can contribute at the NHL level, although the Kings will give him every chance to prove himself. Los Angeles also has high hopes for the 5-foot-9 Lizotte, who the team signed as an undrafted free agent in April out of St. Cloud State where he was one of college’s most offensively skilled players scoring 42 points in 37 games last season. The Kings also have high hopes for Grunstrom, who the team acquired from Toronto in the Jake Muzzin deal. In a brief audition of 15 games with the Kings, the 21-year-old tallied five goals and could prove to be a valuable addition.

The team might also get some help from some of their most recent top picks as Kupari, the team’s 2018 first-round pick, is expected to attend training camp in hopes of earning a spot on the Kings’ opening night roster. The 19-year-old had a breakout season in the Liiga last year, posting 12 goals and 33 points in 43 games. The team still has high hopes for Vilardi, the team’s top pick in 2017, who has missed most of two season with a back injury. With no updates on his status, there are many concerns whether he will ever be healthy enough to be a star in the league. However, if he can prove himself healthy, he could immediately vault himself into a top-six role.

With few veteran options on defense, the team has openings for a couple of their young prospects, including Clague, who spent last season in the AHL and could challenge for a spot this year. Walker had some limited success in 39 games last year, but will have to hold off a number of defensemen to retain his spot.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Tyler Toffoli ($4.6MM, UFA)
D Derek Forbort ($2.53MM, UFA)
F Trevor Lewis ($2MM, UFA)
F Kyle Clifford ($1.6MM, UFA)
F Sheldon Rempal ($874K, RFA)
D Paul Ladue ($825K, UFA)
D Joakim Ryan ($725K, UFA)
F Mario Kempe ($700K, UFA)
G Jack Campbell ($675K, UFA)
D Kurtis MacDermid ($675K, RFA)

Toffoli looked to be on a course to have a big career after a 31-goal season back in 2015-16. However, he hasn’t come that close to equaling that mark since then. He followed that season up with 16 goals, followed by 24 in 2017-18 and then plummeted to just 13 goals last season, his lowest total since his rookie campaign. With one year remaining, the team may be looking to trade off the 27-year-old at the trade deadline as he might be better off with a change of scenery. However, the Kings hope to get him off on the right foot in 2019-20 to increase his trade value. Lewis could also be a trade candidate. The 32-year-old dealt with injuries and appeared in just 44 games last season, but if the veteran could bounce back, he could be a solid trade candidate for depth.

While not an offensive defenseman, Forbort has suddenly become a veteran on a young blueline. The 27-year-old has averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time in three straight seasons and is considered to be an important part of the team’s top four. However, the team will have to decide whether he is worthy of a long-term deal as he will be hitting unrestricted free agency for the first time next summer. Perhaps the bargain of the group is goaltender Jack Campbell, who had a breakout season last year when he had to fill in because of injuries. Campbell, who was once the 11th-overall pick back in 2010, looks to have finally figured things out in net, finishing the season with a 2.30 GAA and a .928 save percentage in 31 appearances and could be interesting to watch as the trade deadline nears.

Two Years Remaining

F Ilya Kovalchuk ($6.25MM, UFA)
D Alec Martinez ($4MM, UFA)
F Alex Iafallo ($2.43MM, UFA)
D Daniel Brickley ($700K, RFA)
D Matt Roy ($700K, RFA)

The team was the highest bidder on Kovalchuk during last year’s offseason as they offered the veteran scorer a three-year deal. Unfortunatley, that deal doesn’t look to have worked out as the veteran struggled early and then dealt with injuries. He finished the season with 16 goals and 32 points, but that was way below the production that the Kings had hoped for when they opted to give him a $6.25MM per year deal. The veteran clashed with coaches and often found himself on the bottom-six. Kovalchuk is hoping to rebound as the Kings failed to find a taker this offseason and can only hope that the 36-year-old still has some gas left in the tank.

The team has one of the most reliable defensemen in Martinez, who could be a prime trade candidate and was often brought up in trade talks a year ago until the team moved out Muzzin. While his offense has slipped, he has been a solid top-four defenseman with the Kings for years, finishing with just a minus-two rating, despite the team’s dismal year.

Three Years Remaining

F Dustin Brown ($5.88MM, UFA)
F Jeff Carter ($5.27MM, UFA)
G Calvin Petersen ($858K, RFA)

The team still has a pair of difficult contracts that it is still paying for. Brown, who signed an eight-year, $47MM contract back in 2013, looked like a bust early on in the deal as the veteran struggled to score for a number of years, four of which where he tallied 15 goals or less. However, the 34-year-old found some of those offensive skills again with a 28-goal campaign in 2017-18 and then 22 more last season. If he can keep that up, the team might not complain as much that they are paying a 34-year-old close to $6MM per season.

After dealing with injuries for most of 2017-18, the Kings were hoping to see Carter, one of the team’s leaders, return to form. However, that wasn’t the case as the 34-year-old, who signed an 11-year, $58MM contract back in 2010, posted just 13 goals and 33 points. The team needs the veteran to find his game as his contract has become challenging to move. There were rumors that the Kings were working on a deal to send Carter to Arizona during the offseason, but those talks ended after the Coyotes acquired Phil Kessel instead.

Four Or More Years Remaining

D Drew Doughty ($11MM through 2026-27)
F Anze Kopitar ($10MM through 2023-24)
G Jonathan Quick ($5.8MM through 2022-23)

One contract that received quite a bit of criticism was the deal that the Kings handed to Doughty in 2018. However, that deal just kicked in now and after a disappointing campaign last season, that deal is already looking even worse. Despite averaging 26:36 of ice time, the No. 1 defender saw his offensive numbers drop and saw his defensive numbers plummet as he finished in the minus for just the third time in his career at a whopping minus-34. Now 29, the Kings will be forced to pay him until he’s 37 years old, and if the veteran can’t rebound this season, could be a long eight years to be paying a player who makes $11MM per year.

While it was a disastrous year throughout the lineup, Kopitar’s numbers were also a disappointment after he posted a 35-goal season in 2017-18 and was among the NHL leaders in points with 92. He saw those numbers drop to just 22 goals and 60 points and the team will need to see their leader bounce back as they still have five more years of their star under contract. Quick was another player who saw his numbers drop off. The veteran, who has been the fixture to the team’s defense, struggled with injuries, but even when on the ice, the 33-year-old put up a 3.38 GAA and a .888 save percentage in 46 games and didn’t look anything like the superstar goaltender of the past. The team might consider moving him with some quality goalies in the system, but with those numbers the team isn’t likely to give him away at the moment.

Buyouts

D Dion Phaneuf ($2.19MM in 2019-20; $4.06MM in 2020-21; $1.06MM in 2021-22 & 2022-23)

Recapture Penalty

F Mike Richards ($1.32MM in 2019-20)

Still To Sign

F Adrian Kempe

The team must sign Kempe, who has showed flashes of potential as a top-six player, but still finished with just 12 goals, down from the 16 he scored in 2017-18. The team brought in his brother, Mario, in hopes of adding a family element, which they hope will help impact his game on a positive level, but the team believes that Kempe could break out at some point, preferably sooner than later. With no arbitration, however, the two sides are still looking for a suitable contract between the two sides.

Best Value: Martinez
Worst Value: Doughty

Looking Ahead

This is an important year in the team’s rebuilding project, but more than almost any team in the league, the Kings are just hoping to see multiple players rebound and bounce back. A good performance by any player could make it easier for the team to trade off assets at the trade deadline and move that rebuilding stage forward even quicker. However, another season of poor play could send the rebuild back a bit. The especially need to see their core players return to form as players like Kopitar and Doughty must prove that their expensive deals aren’t going to be nightmares this quickly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Competition Committee, Imoo, Byron

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When the NHL/NHLPA Competition Committee convenes tomorrow in Toronto, the players’ side will be represented by some of the biggest names in the game. The NHLPA has announced that Ron Hainsey, Connor Hellebuyck, Connor McDavid, John Tavares, and James van Riemsdyk will be the players in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting. McDavid and Tavares obviously stand out as two of hockey’s top talents and players whose inputs will be highly valued. Hainsey is a respected veteran who has always been involved with the players’ association. Hellebuyck will seemingly be there to represent all goalies, while – maybe unintentionally – van Riemsdyk will be the only player from an American team in attendance. The group will have a lot to talk about, as officiating concerns have only increased over recent weeks and the discussion of changing or expanding review will almost certainly be on the table.

  • The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman reports that Los Angeles Kings goaltending development coach Dusty Imoo is headed overseas. The goalie whisperer is set to join the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star in a similar role and Dillman notes that it is a major loss for the Kings. She writes that Imoo was part of a strong tandem with goalie coach Bill Ranford that has worked with Jonathan Quick for years, helped to resurrect the careers of Peter Budaj and Jack Campbell, and have been working with promising prospect Cal Petersen. Fortunately, goaltending is one of the few areas where L.A. found success last year and, even with the loss of Imoo, still have the talent and depth to stay strong in net.
  • Blaine Byron has re-signed with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, the team announced. It’s a one-year re-up for Byron, who just completed his second season with the Thunderbirds. Byron was a standout at the University of Maine and was expected to draw NHL interest as a college free agent in 2017, but instead signed with Springfield. He failed to impress in his first pro season, but after a 25-point campaign this year, it would not have been a surprise to see the Florida Panthers look into a two-way deal for the well-rounded forward. Instead, Byron returns to Springfield and will look to improve again next year.

Pacific Notes: Pavelski, Donskoi, Quick, DiPietro

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The San Jose Sharks are expected to get back a key forward for Game 5 on Saturday, but it won’t be captain Joe Pavelski. The veteran forward, who has been out after hitting his head on the ice in Game 7 of the first-round of the playoffs after taking a hit from Vegas’ Cody Eakin, has been skating more often this week, but is still not ready to return, according to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. “Getting better. Starting to skate regular,” head coach Peter DeBoer said of Pavelski, but added “Not in tonight.”

However, the Sharks are expected to be getting back Joonas Donskoi, who has missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury after taking a hit from Vegas’ Brayden McNabb in Game 6 in the first round. The winger said he’s available to play, although DeBoer said that Donskoi will be a game-time decision. The 27-year-old has appeared in just three playoff games this season with no points. Donskoi was a healthy scratch for the first three games of their first-round series to allow Micheal Haley to play. If Donskoi does go in, he would likely replace Lukas Radil and join the team’s third line along with Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane. Haley is expected to play on the fourth line regardless.

  • The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required), in a mailbag column, suggests that the Los Angeles Kings would be better off holding on to veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick. With the team moving towards a rebuilding project, many feel that trading Quick makes the most sense, especially considering the success that Jack Campbell and Calvin Petersen had this season. However, Dillman writes that with four years remaining on his contract at $5.8MM AAV, there will likely be few takers for Quick considering his poor numbers last year (3.38 GAA, .888 save percentage). She writes that it would be better for the Kings to hold onto him and hope he can bounce back and increase his value ahead of the trade deadline or next off-season.
  • Vancouver Canucks prospect goaltender Michael DiPietro got injured Saturday in the OHL playoffs, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal, who adds that he hears it is a high-ankle sprain, which could end his season early. The 19-year-old star goalie prospect, who is expected to join the Utica Comets next season in the AHL, is 13-0 in the playoffs with a 2.24 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The injury should not affect his availability to begin next season.

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